


We All Need A Little Hope.

by BunnyJess



Category: DCU, Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Abuse of Power, Aftercare, Angst, Anxiety, Bondage, Bruce Wayne is a Bad Parent, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Play, Fluff, Kyle Rayner is a good partner, M/M, Mentions of Saint Walker, NSFW, Neglect, Nightmares, Other, PTSD, Penetration, Protective Kyle Rayner, Recovery, Relaxation, Rimming, Safe Sane and Consensual, Smut, Sounding, breath play, dramatic weightloss, incorrect use of lantern ring, lantern ring in place of sex toys, mentions of outlaws, or is it correct, predetermined safeword, space travel, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25629502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyJess/pseuds/BunnyJess
Summary: Kyle has been away from Earth longer than he anticipated, desperate to find his partner and relax with their friends he uses his ring to find him. The problem is it directs him to Wayne Manor not the island the Outlaws call home. Once there he discovers just how far Bruce is willing to neglect his son in his crusade to prove he’s right. It’s up to Kyle to return hope to a man who has lost it all.
Relationships: Jason Todd/Kyle Rayner
Comments: 6
Kudos: 150





	We All Need A Little Hope.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Belfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belfire/gifts).



> Final fic written for my sibling’s birthday. Found family is valid and I will love my found siblings forever. I would fight Darkseid just to see them happy. Love you chick!

Earth coming into view always sends a thrill up Kyle’s spine. It means he’s made it home. He’s not stuck dying in some far off land. Isn’t planning how or why he needs to escape another alien prison. With a yell and a couple of barrel rolls he shoots towards the blue planet, happy he’s going to be spending the next couple of weeks, barring any intergalactic conflicts that require a White Lantern, working with The Outlaws and generally spending time with his partner.

Finding the island is always an experience. It seems to be cloaked with magic similar to Themyscria but much newer in its conception. Luckily for him, and unluckily for Batman, Kyle has the violet light to lead him straight to Jason.

Kyle’s expecting to come across the sunny, white sandy beaches with weird tech dotted around that denotes the island base of the six full-time Outlaws. He’s not expecting to be led towards Gotham. Even less to be led straight to Wayne Manor. The violet light drawing him towards one of the third story windows.

Looking inside makes his heart skip a beat. Jason looks wrecked. Hair a dishevelled mess, bags under his eyes, and a sickly amount of weight loss that looks minuscule when compared to the pallor of his skin and the weight on his shoulders.

Getting through the window is the work of a few seconds. His partner looks up at him and blinks far too slowly for his liking. Usually they’d be in each other’s arms by now. Checking the other over for injuries and radiating happiness that they’re both safe after so many weeks apart. It’s something Kyle has never been able to stop, not since he lost Jason when they were both fifteen and unable to realise their crush was reciprocated.

He falls to his knees in front of the other man. Cupping Jason’s face in his hands and wishing they weren’t wedged into a corner.

Knowing what Kyle does about Jason he knows there are only a handful of reasons he ever hides with his back against a wall, wedged into a corner and holding a gun. All of them revolve around his death and resurrection. It’s one of the reasons Kyle is so glad he’s a White Lantern now, why their trip through the multiverse hadn’t managed to reform their friendship. The green of his suit and ring too close to that of the Lazarus Pit.

“Babydoll, what happened?” He keeps his voice soft. Now isn’t the time to use his ‘Space Cop’ voice, as Jason calls it, now is the time to be the caring partner his Jay needs.

“Get away from him Rayner. He’s dangerous.” Bruce demands as he bursts into the room. Kyle doesn’t take his eyes off Jason. The flinch telling him just as much as the silence did a moment ago.

A thought throws up a pure white, opaque barrier. Blocking out sight and sound of the _great_ Batman. Bruce is many things; a good detective, a capable leader, an excellent and ruthless businessman to name a few. Bruce is not, has never been, a good father or good at understanding when his family are suffering the effects of their trauma. Too caught up on his own PTSD to recognise that his children need help beyond punching criminals and solving cases.

“He can’t hear us Buttercup. What happened?” Kyle wants desperately to leave. To scoop Jason into his arms and track Roy or the others through their bonds. Only, he can’t, not until he’s ensured nothing happened with them or the island.

“He got us,” Jason’s trembling, voice unsteady as he looks up at Kyle. Eyes a luminous green, so bright they’d probably glow in the dark. “He, Jo- he, he got us all. Made us think he’d cut off our faces. Knows who we are. I, finally pr-prank for me. Acid in my Hood. Burns, they, the pit, it hurt so much.”

Red flickers in the white light. Kyle’s rage taking over. Jason has never been able to say Joker’s name, not once since the bastard murdered him. He even struggled to say Jokesters on Earth-3. To know he was suffering all this while the one person he relied on was lightyears away dealing with the politics between a race of giant worms and space whales.

“How did you end up here?” Kyle’s got that sinking feeling he only gets when Bruce, Hal, or Guy have done something to truly put their foot in it. Hal or Guy it’s always revolving around interpersonal relations in space, for Bruce it’s always his refusal to accept how viscerally Jason feels and how his PTSD affects his actions.

“Laughter wouldn’t stop. It. Would. Not. Stop.” Jason tried to punch the side of his head, then tries to smash it back into the wall when Kyle takes his hand. A quickly thrown up pillow construct that really is too close to red than white stops him from hurting himself on the wall. “Wanted to feel safe. Never feel safe here. Only safe with you and the family. Tried to kill _him_ but Bruce stopped me.”

Kyle shushes him and pulls him into his arms. The weight-loss Jason’s experienced making him feel featherlight and all sharp edges. Tears suddenly soaking his neck and the top of his suit. He doesn’t need to ask any more. He knows what happened.

Bruce would have defended Joker, he always did. The clown’s life apparently worth more than ensuring his son can sleep for longer than two hours at a time when in Gotham and needing to keep a gun on him at all times. He probably saw the green of his eyes beginning to grow and decided to kart Jason away to the manor instead of talking. The almighty Batman supposedly better equipped to deal with a flare up of the pit than the team that’s been helping his son recover for the better part of six years. Locking him up wouldn’t make him any safer. It’d play on every thought and memory.

There is only one place Jason is going to feel safe right now. One place Kyle needs to take the entire team to ensure Jason can recover. Mind made up he shifts the barrier so it acts as a reflective bubble around them. It’ll be invisible to anyone in the city, especially once they’re high enough up. His ring tells him that Bruce is _still_ trying to break through. _Well, good luck with that you old fucker. I’m taking my love and leaving_. Kyle thinks.

As he flies out over Gotham, ring already pinging the island where the other five Outlaws are no doubt planning Jason’s rescue. Sure enough all five are clustered in close proximity making his job that much easier. First stop the island. Second stop…safety.

****

Six months later.

The sky is clear and the air is as fresh and clean as ever. Elpis and it’s city surrounding the Blue Lantern Central Power Battery are so different to Gotham that it still staggers Jason places so peaceful can exist.

Everywhere he goes he feels the hope radiating off its citizens. The Blue Lanterns might be a smaller Corp when compared with the Green’s but that doesn’t make them any less powerful. Their defensive ability better than any Jason has witnessed, and he’s watched Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, and Peter Schmeichel play for Manchester United and subsequently win the treble with Alfred.

There is something freeing about being in a place where the people have such strong hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. Hope for survival. Hope for love, life, and friendship. Hope of a truce between Corps. Just, hope.

He’s sat outside one of the capital’s equivalents to an earth café, the Labrador of the Blue Lantern Corp curled up under his chair after appointing herself Jason’s unofficial emotional support dog. A concept Kyle had introduced to the Corp and led to it being enjoyed by all the Blues. Jason keeps looking around, glancing back at his partner occasionally. Just to check he’s still there.

They’ve been through so much in the short six months since Kyle found him in the manor. Locked away and terrified beyond belief. The Outlaws joining them on the excursion no questions asked. Always willing to follow their brother to the ends of the Earth if necessary.

Kyle is in regular clothing, his ring on his finger but the uniform unnecessary when Elpis and it’s Corp know who Kyle and the Outlaws are. The clothes do nothing to hide the violet aura that’s coming off the ring, nor does it disguise the violet ring in his eyes. His hand calloused from all the art tools he uses and multiple ridiculous wounds from using an exacto knife to sharpen pencils.

He reaches out and clasps one of those artists hand that are flecked with paint. It doesn’t matter how many times Kyle washes them some paint still remains. “Thank you.” Unlike when he’s said it in the past, broken after a nightmare and hoarse from screaming, this time he says it loud and clear. Kyle came for him. Just like he promised he would.

“Always.” Kyle smiles at him, a brilliant thing that Jason is sure could power suns or destroy Gotham’s rogues in its purity.

They wander around the city after that. Hand in hand and enjoying the sights. People stop Kyle to chat, every Blue Corp member knowing who Saint Walker’s close friend is. People even stop to chat to Jason, something he’s still shocked by.

After living amongst them for six months he’s come to know quiet a few people. Being away from Gotham and the toxicity that is the Bats allowing him to blossom into someone who wants friends. Willing to put in the effort because those he knows now are willing to do the same.

They eventually make it back to the house the Outlaws were gifted by Saint Walker for their time there. They’d tried paying rent. He’d refused to take it, instead offering them jobs protecting the planet or assisting Blue Corp members in space. Jason and Kyle the only ones who were permanently grounded. Kyle had even found a way to send out more White Lantern rings in the hopes of alleviating the stress on the other two Corp members now taking up more work because of his sabbatical.

After wandering in the afternoon heat Jason is desperate for a shower. He doesn’t have to keep up pretences around his team and so can exhibit the OCD tendencies that come with his PTSD. Penny following him into the bathroom and checking the room before wandering off to her dog bed downstairs.

The water feels glorious as it falls over his body. Just the right side of cool to soothe his skin after so long under the summer sun of Elpis. His eyes half shut as he lathers up and enjoys the feeling that comes with being clean. His body is slimmer, closer to Dick’s than Bruce’s. His routine changing and becoming more relaxed now he doesn’t feel on guard 24/7.

Slowly packing on the leaner muscle and building back to a healthy weight had been easier than accepting that pushing himself to almost match Bruce in weight and muscle mass was a sign of his anxiety, along with being a form of self-harm. He doesn’t have a rigid meal plan to ensure he consumes the high amount of calories his former body needed. Enjoying what food comes along and taking it one day at a time.

The white strip of hair just to the right of centre at his hairline isn’t died to the point of damage. Six months, a healthy diet, and one good haircut restoring it to a white as pure as Kyle’s Corp. the first time Saint Walker had seen it he’d pointed out how it matched Kyle’s ring making both men blush and Jason’s hatred of it lessen monumentally.

His scars still bother him some days, the ugly scars that come from fighting for his life against Joker since his return and the thick one on his neck causing the most problems. Today however, is a good day. His view of his scars vastly different from six months ago.

Kyle has spent countless hours during their relationship worshipping every scar. Telling Jason he’s beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, and strong. Worshipping the thighs he’d thought were too big, still thinks are too big. Lovingly caressing the whip marks across his back from his time under Ra’s. Massaging his hands when they cramp up due to all the injuries he’s sustained during fights and learning to shoot.

All that time had worked towards helping Jason love himself. Progress being made at a snails pace on Earth thanks to the continued input from the Bats. Putting him down for being too rough on days he couldn’t feel half his fingers. Berating him with phrases too similar to those Ra’s would use while whipping him in Damian’s place. Bruce making him flinch every time he reached for a blade of any kind.

On Elpis his progress shot up like a weed in spring. Away from their influence allowing everything Kyle said and did to last longer, to settle into his marrow and truly start to piece him back together.

Walking out the shower he finds Kyle lounging on their bed. Stripped down to just his boxers he looks simply gorgeous. Golden light spilling across his skin from the partially open blinds. Highlighting his own defined muscles and intermittent scarring. Violent ring becoming the only colour visible in his eyes as his pupils blow wide at seeing Jason with water droplets running across his skin with a towel around his waist.

Jason is moving before he registers it. Sliding into Kyle’s lap and pressing against his lover’s warm chest. Hands tangling in his black and white curls to bring him down for a slow kiss.

They could kiss for two seconds or a hundred years and Jason would be just as flustered as ever. The longer the kiss goes on the closer he gets to rocking his hips against Kyle. Towel falling away as he spreads his legs further across the sheets and Kyle’s lap to get closer to the other man.

Kyle rolls them over. Supporting Jason’s head as he lowers him to the bed. Tongue and lips never stopping their motions as he lets his weight settle on Jason’s crotch.

Kisses pressed down Jason’s jaw. Licks and nips down his neck. Tongue tracing down and around one rosy bud after another. Teeth scraping over them as Kyle’s hands explore all’s that skin. Kisses pressed tenderly but firm into every scar they come across. Some getting lavished with more attention than the others.

He makes his way down his lover’s body until he reaches those thighs he’s seen KO a person or two. The usually unmarked skin of his inner thighs now dotted with fading bruises of varying colours. Kyle quick to add new marks amongst the ones already there.

Working his way up his partner’s legs until he reaches hip. Enjoying every stuttered gasp he still manages to wrangle from the other man. Years of being together ensuring Kyle knows that Jason will probably always react to the attention as if it’s the first time all over again. Unable to comprehend how someone can look at him, let alone want to worship him.

He flings Jason’s legs over his shoulders as if they weigh nothing. Mouthing across balls as down until he can part plump cheeks and lick a fat stripe across Jason’s fluttering home. Tongue swirling around and pushing in. Jason’s hands white knuckling the bedsheets reminding Kyle to eat his partner out more often.

Nibbles. Flicks. Long or thick thrusts. All slow. Annoyingly, agonisingly slow.

Jason quickly goes from quiet to loud. Pleasure caused by Kyle’s tongue forcing him to abandon his shyness and express how Kyle’s making him feel the only way he can with his torn apart moans.

White constructs appear. Two pairs of white handcuffs holding him against the headboard. A tendril wrapping around his cock, another picking up the lube bottle to coat an exceptionally thin tendril of light. Head throwing back and exposing his throat as it begins to push into the slit at the head of his clock. Moving in, in, in. Reminding him of how adventurous Kyle has always been in bed.

Another two move to play with the hoops hanging from dusky, pink buds on his chest. All while Kyle doesn’t let up with his tongue. Flicking, licking, thrusting. Pulling back to nibble on his rim then diving back in to continue working him open on that marvellously undulating tongue.

His moans get cut off when a construct forms around his throat. Pressure just enough to cut off his air temporarily. Squeezing and releasing. Flooding his brain with oxygen every time he’s allowed a breath. Pleasure spiralling higher and higher.

He feels the odd coolness of more constructs press against his rim next to the hot, so fucking hot, tongue that’s fucking into him. Licking him open and making him so, so, so wet.

One becomes two. Opening him up and pressing against his prostate. Vibrating against it.

When the third pushes in one stops moving. Curling around his prostate to vibrate, fluctuating in intensity to keep him on edge.

By the time Kyle pulls back tears are streaming down Jason’s face. He’s gasping every breath he takes and he’s flushed all the way down to his nipples. The white from the constructs standing out starkly against the deep red.

“Oh baby,” Kyle says as he moves up Jason’s body, letting his hips drop onto the pillow he makes. Jason automatically wrapping his legs around Kyle’s waist to pull him closer.

Once Kyle reaches Jason’s face he can’t help but smile down at his lover. The man is whispering, repeating the same thing over and over. “Please, Ky, please, use me.”

He steals the words from the man’s lips. Kissing him breathless as he guides his achingly hard cock inside that hot, tight hole. Thrusting in slowly and enjoying the way Jason throws his head back, back following to arch beautifully.

Moving down to that now exposed throat, Kyle leaves a line of bites. Some nothing more than a little love nip, others that’ll bruise and show everyone Jason’s his.

He had released two of the constructs when he’s thrust in, keeping the one wrapped around Jason’s prostate but halting the vibrations. Now the man under him is used to that final stretch he gets it to gradually build back up. The construct that’s been inside his cock matching the lower vibrations.

It’s all too much and Jason comes with a scream. The construct dissolving just as Kyle noticed Jason was so close so he can watch the way he paints them both in pearly white. Eyes closing as he shudders and tightens around the cock still thrusting in and out.

With Jason having hit his peak, oversensitive and close to wringing a second, dry orgasm out of him, Kyle picks up the pace. Hammering into that hot, wet hole and loving how even when slumped and completely lax Jason still tries to clench around him. Tries to ensure Kyle gets off too.

He looks down at Jason. The violet light growing brighter as his pleasure grows. Hips stuttering.

With a final couple of aborted thrusts, never pulling far out, Kyle coats Jason. The euphoria only rivalled by the soft look Jason is giving him when he eventually comes back to himself.

The constructs fall away. Jason not even making a whimper as Kyle moves his arms down and gently rubs his wrists. Pressing kisses to the inside of each.

He stumbles off the bed, legs still jelly thanks to the mind-numbing orgasm not ten minutes ago, and gets a washcloth from the en-suite. Running it under hot water before returning to Jason.

He wipes him down methodically. Starts at the dried tear tracks and moves down. Touch grounding as Jason still looks a little spaced out.

It’s not the best clean up in the world, never is when it’s one washcloth and no bowl, but it’ll do until they’re both steady enough for Kyle to carry Jason to the shower. He’ll continue cleaning him off in there. Aiming to be as meticulous as Jason always is when alone.

For now, Kyle flops onto the bed and encourages Jason to curl into his side. The other man moving around until he can cross his arms on Kyle’s chest and rest his chin on them. Locking eyes with Kyle as his lips tick up in a half smile.

It always amazes Kyle just how much Jason trusts him. They have safe words, they use colour schemes, they regularly do scenes together. Yet he follows and trusts Kyle to catch him when he falls if Kyle springs something tougher on him. He knows if he said his word, Batman ~~not that they discuss why it’s that and how unsafe his supposed father makes him that it’ll be the random word he’ll use when he needs to~~ , Kyle would stop. He’d pull back and just scoop Jason into his arms, never willing to break the trust, love, and respect they’ve built up over years together.

Just as Jason knows Kyle will catch him when he falls, Kyle knows Jason will tether him down when he starts to fly too high. His own traumas manifesting in intermittent mania than depression, OCD, and self-hatred. Both aware of the risks the other poses to themselves when they get too low or high.

Kyle knows that Jason will come to him as a needy sub, all mewling noises and whined requests. All to pull him back down. Not letting up until Kyle is back with him, offering the grounding that his free-flying spirit often takes too far.

“Love you, always.” Jason says. The world around them having melted away and leaving nothing but the two of them in their own little world.

“Always love you back.” Kyle replies. Happy to have his Jason back; healthier and happier, but still his Jay. _Maybe we should consider making Elpis our home_ …Kyle let’s the thought drift as he twirls Jason’s white streak around his fingers and listens to him slowly begin to babble about the newest language he’s learning. Relaxed at the sight of Jason’s new soft edges, no longer a fortress of walls people have to run a gauntlet through just to reach the softness. Letting people in and letting himself trust knowing Kyle has never broken a promise and has always come for him.


End file.
